Final thoughts once back home

It’s been a week since I returned back home from Nicaragua, after my five-month volunteer deployment. I have explained my experience to family and friends, and I asked them to describe what a volunteer is with one single word. Their answers were adjectives like altruist, solidary, helpful, empathetic, generous… Among all, there are three attributes that are really necessary to play a good role in such an adventure: committed, dreamer and learner. Of course, high morale is important but once there, in a totally new place, a volunteer needs both commitment and illusion to be able to overcome all kind of difficulties that eventually will arise. In order to make the most of everyday experiences, both professionally and personally, one needs to be a learner as well. This way I got to know new ideas, motivations and problematiques but I also saw often challenged my beliefs. Hope this experience as volunteer is valuable for the organization I worked with and for the whole programme.

By Ainara Casajús